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Events

Who can attend?

All of our campus events, such as Admissions Workshop Weekend and Scholarship Saturday, are available for all high school students at no cost. Events at local high schools may have different attendance requirements. Please contact us for further details.

If you wish to attend one of our campus events, please visit our events page for more info and to RSVP.

Where are events held?

Our biggest events such as Admissions Workshop Weekend and Scholarship Saturday are held on the University of Washington Seattle campus. Other events such as FAFSA nights and smaller CACE events may be held at local high schools. Please contact us for information about these events.

Is transportation provided?

For campus events, transportation is sometimes provided for our partner high schools. Please contact the high school lead of your school for more information. Dream Project will also provide bus tokens at times when it is not possible to provide more transportation.

For students that choose to drive themselves to campus for events, parking fees are covered; simply tell the parking attendant that you are attending a Dream Project event.

What is the cost to attend?

All events are free to all student attendees.

Is food provided? What about dietary restrictions?

Food is provided at all campus events, and dietary restrictions of any kind can be met if they are detailed when you RSVP for the event.

Handicap access?

There is handicap access to all buildings used for our events.

What should I bring?

For Scholarship Saturday and Admissions Workshop Weekend, bring your current drafts! If you have already worked on a personal statement or application, bring that with you on paper, on a USB drive, or by emailing it to yourself. You should bring a laptop if possible, and any documents that will be helpful in drafting your applications.

What if I can’t make the whole event?

You can come late or leave early to any event if you drive yourself.

High School Students

What if I want to attend community college and transfer later?

This is definitely a valid choice to get to a 4-year university. Taking this route requires planing ahead: be intentional about the classes you take at your 2-year college and check how well they transfer to the university you are interested in. Talk with your mentor about your plans or contact us.

How do I join at my school?

If you are a junior or senior at one of Dream Project’s partner schools, talk to your guidance counselor about how to get involved, or contact the High School Leads for your school here.

What do I do if there is no Dream Project at my school?

If Dream Project does not have an official partnership with your school, you are still welcome to attend our events. Check here for upcoming events to RSVP.

You are also encouraged to utilize other resources at your school, such as your guidance or career counselor. Register for SAT prep courses, apply for the FAFSA in January, and visit our scholarship pages.

Another great resource are the Road Map to College events. Dream Project partners with other community organizations and school districts to host these events throughout the year, with over 60 events total around King county. In the fall, get assistance from Dream Project mentors and community volunteers on your college applications and scholarship applications. In the winter, we’ll be working with students and their parents on filing the FAFSA. In the spring, the events will focus on revising FAFSAs, choosing a school, submitting deposits, finalizing financial aid, and anything else you still need to do to be ready for college in the fall.

What can I expect when I go to a Dream Project meeting?

At every high school visit, anywhere between 10 and 60 UW college mentors come to a meeting place at your school (typically a library or computer lab) to meet with the students that attend. As you get to know your college mentor, you will talk about your plans for after you graduate and how to achieve those goals.

This will involve conversations about preparing for and taking the SAT, selecting colleges, applying to colleges, finding funding for college, and developing resumes and skills for jobs after high school. You can also expect a snack of some sort at every Dream Project visit.

What is the Dream Project workbook?

The workbook is designed and edited by undergraduates and is tool to use to guide you through the college application process. Using the workbook does not guarantee acceptance to any college, but will be a significant asset as your organize your plans post-graduation. Download pages from the workbook.

What is the Dream Project Scholarship?

Each year, the Dream Project gives a $1,000 scholarship to a student from each of our partner schools (funds permitting). This Live the Dream Scholarship is given to students who participate in the Dream Project, plan to attend the University of Washington in the fall, and demonstrate financial need. To learn more, students can talk to their High School Leads at a Dream Project visit.

What about when I get to college?

Stay in touch! Your mentor wants to help you find your feet on campus, and will be available to answer your questions if you just reach out. If you attend the University of Washington, we encourage you to join the class and become a part of our 500+ student community on campus!

Parents

What is the cost to students that participate in the Dream Project?

Free!

Media release?

By signing and submitting an intake survey, you are agreeing to release the University of Washington Dream Project to use your student’s image in publications or advertisements. If you do not wish to provide this release, please contact us here and we will be glad to work this out with you.

Does the Dream Project guarantee acceptance to a college?

No. The Dream Project is not affiliated with any admissions department and cannot guarantee acceptance to any college. However, our goal is to support students through the college application process and increase their overall chances of being accepted to a college or university.

Is my student required to go to University of Washington?

No! We know that the UW is not the best fit for every student, so we encourage students to pursue schools that will meet their interests and needs the best.

My student isn’t a junior or senior yet, what can DP do to help them?

Bring your student to a campus event. We can talk with them there about how to prepare for college as a 9th or 10th grader. In general, we encourage students to stay on top of their grades and get involved in extra-curricular activities (sports, student clubs, etc.) to make them more appealing to colleges when they apply.

How are mentors chosen and trained?

All our mentors go through a background check before participating in the program, and attend a mentoring workshop before visiting high schools. All mentors also participate in weekly lectures and breakouts to maintain knowledge of their skills and responsibilities as mentors of high school students.

How are you funded?

We are funded primarily through grants and donations, with some support from the University of Washington. All mentors are volunteers, so this helps our program be affordable.

Mentors

How do I sign up?

Go here for more information! You can participate on a quarterly basis as a volunteer or receive 2 credits by registering for EDUC 260 and EDUC 369 through MyUW.

Do times include transportation?

Yes, all times on the UW time schedule include transportation to and from the schools.

Is transportation provided?

Yes! All mentors going to the same high school carpool together every week from a meeting place on campus. Contact your high school lead for information on where this is.

Quiz section is full on MyUW or DreamSIS

The caps on our quiz sections are set based on the number of high school students that will likely be available to work with at the school you’d be visiting during that time. We try to adhere to those caps as much as possible, to ensure that you will be working with a student and you get that full experience.

If the visit you are interested in is full, please consider visiting another school that still has a need for mentors. If none of the open visits seem to fit your schedule, come by our office in MGH 274 and ask about scheduling; many of our visits offer an “early car” back to the UW that can get you back in time for a class that would normally overlap with the visit time.

Can I earn extra credit?

Yes! By visiting two schools for an entire quarter or attending a large number of extra events, you may be eligible for a third credit (an extra EDUC 369). Email uwdpclass@uw.edu for more information.

Can I earn writing credit?

Unfortunately, at this time the Dream Project does not offer any writing credit options.

Can Dream Project fulfill my service learning requirement?

Yes, by volunteering with the Dream Project, you can satisfy the service learning requirement for other UW courses. If you wish to receive credit from the Dream Project as well as that course, you can participate in extra visits or attend more events that quarter. Email uwdpclass@uw.edu for more information.